What a brilliant, fast-moving, and intriguing thriller with hints hidden everywhere — did you also predict those turns?

I had a great time reading this book and will definitely keep an eye out for Claire Douglas' future works.

I had a great time reading the book and enjoyed predicting the surprises in advance. I adored the atmosphere created by the secluded cabin's location amid the purportedly eerie woods.

Twenty years after a car accident has been forgotten, the case is reopened by the police when a journalist arrives in town to make a podcast about the event. Four friends went out drinking on a rainy night and crashed, only one survived. The other three weren't in the car and all their belongings were missing. What happened? And why hasn't anyone heard from them? People don't want the case reopened, especially when the journalist starts digging. Definitly kept my interest and had some interesting characters. Lots of secrets and lies to keep you invested in the story.

It’s been twenty years since three girls disappeared without a trace from a car accident, while the driver Olivia was the only one to survive and be found. The mystery of the disappearing girls has now turned into a town legend.
Present time journalist Jenna Halliday has decided to reopen the case by making a podcast. Hoping the podcast will give her the space and time to figure out why her husband wants to leave. When Jenna arrives to the small town, she immediately notices the town people would rather her leave, and not bother with the case which includes Olivia. Jenna begins to be threatened by anonymous notes and even dead animals. The more she digs the threats increase and it’s soon apparent that someone is determined to have Jenna stop digging into the past , and they will stop at nothing to make sure she listens. The story is told in a dual timeline and at first I was wondering the story was going being written this way, by the end my mind was blown. A great mystery and quick read.

This book took place in my IDEAL setting - it's long been a dream of mine to live by the sea in the English countryside so this is one of those cozy mysteries that you want to read when it's raining outside, drinking a cup of tea, with a lit candle.

To begin, I want to say how much I loved the MC. She was strong and independent, but she was also getting in her own way and a little naive, which is all too relatable. The supporting cast of characters were endearing, minus the stupid boyfriend, but with special attention to her mom. Though misguided, she loved her daughter and only wanted to protect. This book got me out of a major reading slump and I'll continue to sing its praises to anyone who's looking for a good and cozy mystery/thriller.

I wasn’t sure going into this how I would feel after not loving The Couple At Number Nine. The beginning really grabbed my attention, but the book ending up falling kind of flat for me. The alternating time lines was a bit hard to follow at times. I will continue to grab Claire Douglas’ books and hope for a total win next time!

Years ago, three girls went missing after their car crashed on a haunted road called the Devil’s Corridor. Only one girl, Olivia, was found after the crash. No one knows what happened to the other three girls, and the locals blame Olivia.

Now, a journalist has arrived in town to interview the locals for her podcast. Jenna struggles to find people willing to interview her, but she presses on, even as she receives anonymous warnings to leave town.

Strange things are happening again in town, and Jenna is determined to solve this mystery. In “The Girls Who Disappeared," the action ramps up steadily, keeping me guessing and wondering who could be trusted.

Overall, it was a decent mystery but I was hoping for a different outcome/explanation. I liked the feeling of being unable to trust any of the characters and it was a quick, fast paced book.

Started out really strong, but wasn't really fond of how the book wrapped up. Overall, I liked it well enough, but wasn't a big favorite.

3.5⭐

Featuring ~ 1st & 3rd multiple POV, 20 year old cold case, flashbacks

I love a missing person story, add in 3 missing persons and it's 20 years old, sign me up!

Olivia's parts are told in the 3rd person. 20 years ago she was involved in an accident with 3 of her friends. When she woke up at the crash site they were gone and haven't been seen since.
Jenna's parts are told in the 1st person as she investigates the disappearances for her podcast. I enjoyed her eagerness to get to the bottom of things.
Stace's identity is a mystery for most of the book.

There are a few townsfolk that aren't too keen on Jenna sniffing around and bringing up old wounds. I wasn't a super big fan of Olivia's boyfriend, Wesley (even though that's my hubs name). He was a bit controlling. I can't say the twist surprised me, but that didn't bother me too much. It was a bit slow going in some spots, but overall I liked it well enough.

*Thanks to the author, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

In this bucolic stretch of Southwest England famous for its otherworldly sites, nothing is more puzzling than the Olivia Rutherford case. Four girls were driving home. After their car crashed only one--Olivia--was found.

What happened to the girls who disappeared? On the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy, journalist Jenna Halliday has arrived in Wiltshire to cover the case. The locals aren't happy with this outsider determined to dig into the past. Least of all Olivia.

Podcasts are a hit so I want shocked books are coming out with these storylines. I've watched and listened to enough Dateline to know people don't like you snooping around old mysteries. It was fun to read a BBC version and it kept me engaged enough, but it skips around a bit. I enjoyed it overall but it's not a literary masterpiece. Lucky for me, I enjoy quick reads with words I can pronounce and a little action and suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ms Douglas, and Harper for this in exchange for an honest review

Reading Between the Wines book review #38/115 for 2023:
Rating: 2 ½ 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Girls Who Disappeared
Author: Claire Douglas
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: This book really started off strong and I was so into the mystery then it just sort of took a turn and crashed…much like the crash in the story. I wish there was just much more that happened but it didn’t so that resulted in my rating.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperPerennialAndPaperbacks for an advanced copy of @TheGirlsWhoDisappeared.

#TheGirlsWhoDisappeared #ClaireDouglas #HarperPerennialAndPaperbacks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

I was guessing the entire book. I didn’t see the culprit to the original mystery coming at all!

I received this book free of charge in return for my honest review.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one. This was my first Claire Douglas novel and it won't be my last.

I thought the element of suspense was done well. While I was able to figure a few things out, I was truly surprised by some things that happened during the investigation.

The writing was descriptive and well done, the cover is beautiful, and the multiple POVs were a plus for me.

Definitely recommend this if you're a thriller lover!

4 stars!

Twenty years ago, four friends were in a car, during a massive rain storm, when suddenly, the driver swerved to avoid a figure standing in the road.
Only the driver, Olivia, survived the accident, but the three other girls had disappeared.
Twenty years later, a journalist/ podcaster has decided to revisit the town, in an attempt to solve the mystery.
This book is full of mysterious events. The story unfolds in two different time periods, 25 years apart.
This book is well written and full of twists and turns, to keep the reader intrigued!
4 stars
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC, in return for my honest review.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

"The Girls Who Disappeared" by Claire Douglas is a gripping and emotional thriller that will keep you hooked from the very first page. The story follows two girls who disappear without a trace and 20 years since their disappearance a detective wants answers. The readers will have to put their own detective hat to figure out what exactly happened so many years ago.

The author's writing is excellent, with vivid descriptions that bring the characters and setting to life. The characters are well-developed, and their relationships and motivations are explored in detail.

Overall, "The Girls Who Disappeared" is a masterful thriller that will leave you breathless. With its intricate plot, well-drawn characters, and powerful themes, this is a book that is sure to stay with you long after you've finished reading.

I really enjoyed this book! I couldn’t put it down. I found the ending to be over-the-top, but was happy that I read it. The podcast angle is interesting, although it is getting a bit played out. The first half of the book was riveting, but the second half seemed to lose steam a bit and I thought the conclusion was that extremely far-fetched. The ending knocked it down to 3 stars.

A suspenseful thriller with lots of twist and turns. Told from different characters points of view, you think you know where the story is going, but you don't!

Who is lying? And who is telling the truth?

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Paperbacks for the ARC!

It was decent, but it actually wasn’t much about “the girls who disappeared”. Very intriguing setup, but the payoff was a little bland. It's an entertaining enough thriller, worth a read.

Thank You to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this free ARC.

I love Claire Douglas and this book did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down. It is suspenseful with its twists and turns. I like that it switches between some of the characters to tell the story and you wonder who is believable and telling the truth. The storyline is interesting and well told and I love the book cover.